Austin-based western swing and hot jazz trio Hot Club of Cowtown performs live at the Continental Club.
Hot Club of Cowtown are playing the Continental Club on Wednesday, September 2, from 6:30 to 9 PM. They're an Austin-based trio of violin, guitar, and upright bass, and they've been playing together for over 15 years. The lineup is violinist Elana James, guitarist Whit Smith, and bassist Lindsay Greene.
They describe their sound as sitting at the crossroads of 1930s and 40s Parisian gypsy string jazz—in the vein of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli—and the hillbilly fiddlers of Oklahoma and Texas. It's a mix of the rhythms of swing masters like Bob Wills and European gypsy music, and they deliver their songs in three-part harmonies. They play on classic gear, including a 1925 Gibson acoustic and a 1937 Gibson amp.
Over the years they've released a dozen albums, and their most recent is 2025's LIMELIGHT, a collection of eclectic standards, cowboy tunes, hot jazz, a Roma folk song, and a waltz for Lupa. The record draws on Jimmie Rodgers, Marty Robbins, Joe Venuti, Bob Wills, and Django Reinhardt, so you'll hear a good bit of that range in their sets.
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It's a mid-week show at the Continental Club, running from 6:30 to 9 PM.
